Violently Happy
by Clementine Lee
Summary: His entire world was made up of games. Sick, childish games. What will happen when Paige finds herself not only forced to play, but also demanded to be the next installment of his team? Paul/OC. Set after Funny Games. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hi there lovely readers! I've been reading Fanfiction for years now and I've **finally** decided to try my hand at writing a little somethin' somethin'. Let me just start off by saying that I loved the movie, Funny Games, and I just had to write a story about it. This is going to be a Paul/OC because, well, I'm a **huge **Michael Pitt fan. He's simply amazing. So I really hope you enjoy it and please don't hesitate to review! I'm really curious to know whether I'm good at all this or not! Okay, enough babbling…on with the show!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the original characters in Funny Games. I do own Paige, Bridget, and the other OC's I create along the way. Paul and Peter sadly belong to the genius mind of Michael Haneke.  
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She was never a convincing actress. In all her years, no one ever believed Paige Miller when she was trying to convey an emotion she didn't feel. For instance, when she was a toddler, she received a red Barbie Convertible for Christmas instead of the pink one she desperately wanted. Disappointment was evident on her face but still she tried to plaster an impressive grin nevertheless as to not hurt her father's feelings.

If this was all true, then why was her supposedly fake attraction to a murdering, yet charismatic, young man so convincing?

Looking back at the events now, she couldn't quite pinpoint the exact moment where faking the false emotion of love turned into the real thing.

Never had she ever dreamt that this sort of thing would happen to her. All she knew was that this definitely wasn't a dream and the choices she was going to have to make were horribly, shockingly real.

It all started at the beginning of the summer that would determine the rest of her life.  
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Paige looked up at the sky and noticed all the different shades of gray seemed to make up one big, giant cloud that would explode any minute. She felt her head against the headrest and tiny clear droplets adorned her hand as it twirled delicately outside the window.

The drive from her hometown of San Francisco to Crystal Lake was about six hours and Paige could slowly feel her eyes drift close.

Brushing her light blonde hair out of her face, she turned to see her best friend, Bridget, beside her in a dead sleep. Her mouth was slightly agape and her lid-covered eyes gave a twitch every once in a while. Paige let out a soft sigh and let her thoughts take over.

This was the summer before her senior year. Paige looked at it as the last summer being a teenager. In just one short year she would be out in the real world and would have to deal with all the problems adults go through in their lives. She did admit that she was scared but she was also extremely excited.

All throughout her life, Paige had developed a strong interest for fashion and hoped to later pursue it as a career. Nothing gave her more joy than finding a beautiful, unique piece of clothing at a vintage shop or high end flea market.

She took pride in her style and never missed out on an opportunity to dress up and impress people with her taste in fashion. Looking down at her outfit she was wearing now, she wore a dark gray strapless dress that came down just passed her knees. Round splotches of tie-dye were placed randomly on the dress and she wore her favorite black, strappy sandals to complete the look.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she snuck another glance at Bridget and saw that she was starting to awake. Her eyes met Paige's and a small smile graced her lips.

"Good morning sunshine," Paige said with a fake grin. "I've been sitting here for almost three hours with nothing else to do but watch you sleep."

Bridget chuckled and adjusted herself in her seat, her long, brown, wavy hair flowing around her shoulders.

"Well it's not my fault that you're a freak of nature and hardly require any sleep," Bridget stated groggily while rubbing the haggard look from her eyes.

Paige shrugged and smiled. It was true. She'd never really needed a lot of sleep to give her energy. Doctors used to think she had A.D.D. but her parents knew it was never that serious.

"Hey mom, are we almost there?" Bridget called towards the passenger seat.

"Yeah hun, we'll be there in about ten minutes," Mrs. White announced over her shoulder to where the two antsy teenaged girls sat.

Paige was spending the summer with the White's at their vacation home near the lake. Bridget's family went every year, but this would be the first time Paige accompanied them. Bridget's family had always been wealthier than Paige's which always made her feel somewhat awkward when they would invite her on extravagant getaways. She could never shake the guilty feeling of never being able to return the favor since both her parents were teachers at the local elementary school.

However, this summer excursion was an exception. Bridget managed to talk Paige into going by promising high-paying babysitting jobs, which she desperately needed. Every dollar Paige earned since the age of fifteen went to her college fund in hopes of getting into a good school in New York. That had always been her dream and she had worked extremely hard for her dreams to hopefully, one day, become a reality.

So this led to Paige now, sitting in a blue Volvo with her best friend, on her way to babysit a bunch of spoiled rug rats for a couple hundred bucks. Hey, she would take it where she could get it. Needless to say, she was also pretty excited to be staying in a fancy lake house all summer with her best friend of eleven years.

Looking out the window once more, Paige gazed at the dark blue water of the lake that stretched as far as her green eyes could see. Living in San Francisco all her life, she had learned at appreciate gray skies and overcast weather. She could clearly see that Crystal Lake was no different in terms of atmosphere. Light traces of fog danced along the black streets and the faint rain had turned into more of a mist.

Paige's eyes left the lake and traveled further to marvel at the beautiful mansions and found that they were almost as captivating as the large body of water. Each house was at least three stories high and all were painted white. Though they all shared the same color, each mansion had its own distinct design. Some had giant windows facing the lake, while others had several windows scattered randomly almost covering the surface.

The car slowly came to a stop and Paige gazed at the house in front of her, her round eyes staring in awe at the accommodation she would be living in for three glorious months. Driving through the open rot iron gates gave her a much better view and she could see the white masterpiece in all its glory. The White family's home was three stories and windows occupied almost the entire front of the massive house. Paige sat there, mouth hanging open, until a hand waving up and down in front of her face came into focus.

"Hello…earth to Paigey," Bridget teased as Paige regained composure and snapped her mouth shut, blushing.

"This house is amazing," Paige said quietly as Bridget laughed.

"You should see the inside. It's even more gorgeous," she replied, her smile a bit smug.

"This is going to be the greatest summer ever!" Paige beamed as she started to gather her things.

"Oh, you have no idea. We're going to make so much money; we won't even know what to do with it all! Plus, this place is swarming with hot, rich guys who are here on holiday," Bridget said slyly with a wink.

Giggling, Paige hopped out of the car and walked arm in arm with her best friend to explore the inside of the house. She felt like she was in a dreamland. She was going to be raising money to achieve her dream of going to college and getting into the fashion industry. She was with her best friend and her family, living in a magnificent house, and she knew she was going to have the most memorable summer of her life.

The only thing Paige didn't know was that the summer was going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons….  
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Okay so what did you guys think? I'm **dying** to know!

Please **Review** and tell me if you love it, hate it, you name it.

If you guys like what you are reading, my guess is that this story is going to be pretty long so please give me your honest input.

**Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Sorry for the slight delay guys. My computer has been broken and I just got it back today. Thank you so much for the reviews, they really meant a lot!

Oh and for this chapter, I suggest you listen to any song from In Rainbows by Radiohead. Pure gold.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the original characters in Funny Games. I do own Paige, Bridget, and the other OC's I create along the way. Paul and Peter sadly belong to the genius mind of Michael Haneke.

* * *

Paige could feel her heart skip a beat in excitement when Bridget threw open the massive double doors exposing the mansion's interior. She had expected it to be nice inside but this was certainly not what she bargained for.

A grand staircase was the first thing to catch Paige's wondering eyes. It ran up the side of the golden painted wall with such exquisite grace. Huge paintings surrounded her as well as deep brown and burgundy candles and other accents. Expensive Persian rugs covered almost the entire surface of the hard wood floors. Paige then noticed the rot iron chandelier that hung above her head and admired the fact that it wasn't one of those typical, overly fancy ones covered in jewels that snobby people loved to flaunt. A massive piano sat in the far corner of the room, its keys glinting in the sunlight coming from one of the many windows above. Paige realized that the instrument was Bridget's. She was an incredibly skilled musician and could play almost anything on the piano. It was her passion.

Paige had always envied Bridget in a way. She came from a much wealthier family than she and was musically gifted. When it came to popularity Bridget rose to the top effortlessly, taking Paige with her. But Paige had always felt as if she didn't quite belong. She wasn't exactly the socialite Bridget was, with the bubbly personality and friendly smile to match. Paige was the shy one. The quiet girl who would rather stay at home and read Vogue with a cup of hot chocolate while everyone else was out partying. Paige felt as if the only thing that could break her from her shell was fashion. Sure she wouldn't talk much and would feel awkward around her peers, but she wasn't afraid to wear a black and light purple patterned romper, gray fedora accompanied with her black lace-up horse riding boots she had discovered at her local vintage store. She knew people at school didn't understand her. Truth be told, she didn't really understand herself either. She could rock a daring and sheik outfit, but when it came to upholding a conversation with a classmate, she was totally lost.

Bridget was like a sister to Paige, but she had always felt like they weren't always on the same page. Paige had always felt unbalanced whenever she compared herself to her best friend. Sure she could put together an outfit in a matter of minutes but that was nothing compared to watching Bridget's graceful fingers sliding beautifully over the keys playing anything you set in front of her.

Of course Bridget never thought anything of it and always treated Paige as an equal. She never looked down on her for being apart of the lower class or for being slightly different from everyone else.

Paige's thoughts were then interrupted when she realized that Bridget had been talking to her the entire time they were in the room.

"…and mom says it's at least one hundred years old. It belonged to my great grandfather in the early 1900's," Bridget continued, unaware that Paige's attention was elsewhere.

As Bridget continued rambling, she turned her head towards Paige, whose face was a mixture of bemused and humbled.

When Paige finally snapped out of her daze, she walked over to Bridget and threw her arms around her best friend.

"Jeez getting a little emotional over a house, wouldn't you say?" Bridget said jokingly as she embraced Paige.

Paige smirked and released Bridget from her grasp.

"I'm just so happy I get to spend the entire summer with my best friend and her family in a beautiful lake house. I just wanted to thank you so much for convincing me to come up here with you. I've been so stressed about college and money. I guess this is just what I needed," Paige said with a smile.

Bridget shrugged and pushed a strand of dark hair from her face.

"You won't have to worry about money for college when the summer's over. You'll have more then enough dough, I promise. Now can we please go check out the rest of the house instead of standing here like idiots?" Bridget replied, arching an eyebrow.

* * *

As beautiful as the grand staircase leading up to the second and third floor was, Paige detested the fact that she had to haul three months worth of clothes packed into a gigantic suitcase up the spiraling steps. Almost halfway to the second story, she felt as if she would fall backwards and topple down to the first floor breaking every bone in her body.

After finally dragging her monster of a suitcase up to their room, Paige felt the need to collapse dramatically on the bed while Bridget giggled at her antics and did the same.

Being around her best friend gave Paige the chance to finally be herself. Bridget was the only person who she felt completely comfortable with. Knowing each other for so long resulted with the idea of secrets to fly right out the window. Each one knew when the other was lying so they had absolutely no barriers between each other.

"My arms are going to fall off," Paige whined as Bridget crawled off the bed to unpack her things.

"Well that's what you get for packing your entire wardrobe and stuffing it all into one suitcase, silly goose," Bridget replied as if Paige was a child.

"I've never been away for the entire summer, let alone a couple of days. How was I supposed to know what to bring and what not to bring?" Paige retorted while flexing her fingers.

"Packing nine pairs of pajama shorts isn't required for any trip, no matter how long you're gone for," Bridget shot back almost instantly. She had been folding her clothes and setting them inside the giant, white wardrobe that stood kiddy-cornered against the wall on the far left.

The room was definitely big enough for the two of them to share. The walls were painted a pale sky blue and there was a lavish, white queen sized bed placed in the center of the room. The comforter was tan with a large blue flower on the right side. The entire room reminded Paige of the beach. It was calming and charming all at once.

Paige rolled over on her stomach and groaned a reply. "Well next time when you don't have any pajamas to wear and you ask to borrow some of mine, I'll remember you said that."

She could hear Bridget's laughter and decided to get up and do some of her own unpacking.

* * *

After about an hour of nonstop unpacking and organizing, both girls were finally finished and in the mood for something sweet.

Walking out of the room, Paige noticed that they had the whole floor to themselves. Bridget's parent's room was located on the third floor. It was almost like having their own apartment which was exciting to Paige. She felt like an adult.

Once they were in the living room, the girls were greeted by Bridget's parents. Lisa, Bridget's mother, was dashing around the room looking for her purse, while Jack, Bridget's father, was quietly reading the newspaper mumbling every now and then about the stock market.

"Oh girls! We just wanted to let you know that we're going over to the Stuart's for dinner and we won't be home until late tonight," Lisa called from behind her shoulder as she applied her lipstick.

"Sounds good, Mom. Paige and I are pretty beat from the drive and unpacking. You two have fun," Bridget said with a smile and walked over to the freezer grabbing the chocolate ice cream.

"Ok girls, please try to keep the house in one piece while we're gone and remember, no boys," Jack said sternly from behind his thickly rimmed reading glasses.

Don't worry Mr. White, we don't know any boys here and it looks as if there's a pretty nasty storm brewing outside. We shouldn't be expecting company anytime soon, especially since all your neighbor's houses are miles apart," Paige said reassuringly.

"Yes, you're right Paige, thank you for that," Mr. White said with a relieved smile.

As Jack and Lisa walked out the door, Paige could hear Bridget's father telling her that he was going to lock the gate in front of the house just in case. This made Paige feel safe and reassured that no one would be bugging them throughout the night.

"Bye guys, love you!" Bridget called as she shut the massive double doors. As she entered the kitchen, she proceeded to scoop the chocolate ice cream into two coffee mugs and handed one to Paige.

"So, what should we do now?" Paige asked as she plopped herself down onto one of the enormous leather recliners and dug into her ice cream.

Right as Bridget was about to open her mouth with a reply, she was interrupted by a boisterous round of thunder that was followed by the light pattering of raindrops on the roof.

Paige heard Bridget sigh loudly and cross her arms with a look of frustration.

"Well guess we can't go swimming," she huffed exasperatedly.

"I wouldn't have wanted to go swimming, anyways..." Paige said quietly.

"Ah Paige, you've got to get over your fear of drowning sometime!" Bridget said a little too loudly, still angered by the storm.

"It's kind of hard to just face a fear you've had your entire life, Bridge," Paige retorted, her face down staring at her ice cream.

Paige never could explain why she was so deathly afraid of water. She figured it was when she was around four or five when the nightmares began. She would wake up almost every night crying and screaming, thinking she was drowning in an ocean of black water. She winced at the images the dreams produced in her. Panic and fear of not being able to breathe while the dark ocean swallowed her in deeper and deeper until she was forced to give in.

The nightmares ceased after a couple of years, but the damage was done. The fear was planted so deep into Paige that she avoided pool parties at all costs. Whenever she was at the beach she wouldn't even look at the water let alone swim in it. This was another reason why she was so apprehensive to come to the lake with Bridget. She knew this would happen. She knew she wasn't ready to face her fear, and Bridget never really understood how deep that fear went.

Paige continued when it looked as if Bridget wasn't going to reply.

"Look, I've been dealing with this problem most of my life and believe me, I've tried to get over it. It's just not the right time, Bridge," Paige admitted softly.

"You know I would never make you do something you didn't want to do. When you're ready, I'll be there to help you get through it, Paige. Don't worry about it! This summer is supposed to be filled with laughs and memories, not cries and nightmares," Bridget said with a smirk.

Paige was thankful she wasn't going to push it any further, so she allowed herself to relax again.

"We could play cards. Poker?" She suggested, changing the subject.

"I don't know how to play," Bridget whined and pushed her bottom lip out in some sort of pout.

"Don't worry, I can teach you. How about this: I'll teach you how to play Poker, if you get me more ice cream," Paige said with an arched eyebrow.

"Deal," Bridget agreed after a moment of deliberation.

* * *

Two hours and ten Poker games later saw Paige and Bridget lying in the family room listening to the In Rainbows album by Radiohead.

"I can't believe we're going to be seniors next year. High school seems like it flew right on by. It's so strange that it's almost over," Paige rambled aloud as she reached for a marshmallow from the bag on the coffee table.

"I know! I personally cannot wait to move out and start a new life as an adult," Bridget agreed with closed eyes.

Tucking a blond lock behind her ear, Paige's eyes roamed over the clock that read 10:34 P.M. The storm had only gotten worse with time and she was just glad that she was safe in a nice, cozy house lying next to her best friend.

Bridget's parents had called earlier and said that if the storm stayed the way it did, they would have to sleep at the Stuart's house and come home tomorrow morning. Normally, this would frighten Paige, but knowing there wasn't anybody living within a five mile radius fully reassured her.

Paige's thoughts of protection and reassurance were quickly interrupted and diminished when she heard a soft knocking at the door. She knew that Bridget had heard it, too because she saw her head shoot up in alert from the sound.

"Who is it?" Paige asked anxiously.

"How am I supposed to know, Paige? We're sure as hell not expecting anybody so I'm a little freaked out," she spat as she got up and headed for the door.

"Well don't answer it if you don't know who it is!" Paige shouted and realized she sounded just like her mother.

Bridget nodded and looked through the peephole on one of the front doors. She looked confused, then shot a look over in Paige's direction.

"It's a cute guy. Looks about our age. How bad could he be?" Bridget said with a shrug.

Paige's eyes bugged out of her head.

"Just because he's cute doesn't mean he's not dangerous!" Paige hissed. She always said Bridget's boy-crazy tendencies were going to get her into trouble one day. It looked as if she would be right.

"Ah come on! He's harmless," she said as she began unlocking the double doors.

* * *

Author's Note: And that's Chapter Two for ya!

Hope you like it! Sorry no Peter or Paul involvement yet but definitely in the next chapter!

I just wanted to take this time to talk about something that's been bugging me for awhile. It seems as though someone has taken my idea for my story and created their own based off of my ideas. Not a fan of plagiarism. It actually makes me intensely angry. Please be original people, for goodness sakes.

So in any case, please stay with me. I know I may not be the quickest when it comes to updates, but I promise I'll get better.

Thanks Guys!


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Notes_

Hello dearest readers. Now I know I haven't updated in a long time, but I promise that I will devote time to complete this story and post as soon as I can. I come bearing the gift of Peter in this chapter, so hopefully you aren't too mad at me for not updating in such a long time. I also wanted to take the time to say that the reviews filled me with joy! Thank you so much for all your support.

For this chapter, listen to the song You Are The Blood by Sufjan Stevens. It just seems to fit the mood and it's what I listened to mostly while writing this scene.

_Disclaimer:_I sadly do not own the beautiful characters of Peter and (especially) Paul. Everything from the original movie belongs to Michael Haneke.

* * *

Chapter 3

Paige heard the wooden door creak slightly as she watched her best friend open the door to a complete stranger. Bridget cautiously turned the massive right doorknob just enough to poke her head out and meet the mystery man face to face.

Panic was evident on Paige's face as she stood behind Bridget, balancing on her toes to get a better view of the intruder. From what she could see of him, Paige agreed that he really did look harmless.

Although she couldn't see much since the boy was wearing a rather large yellow rain coat. The hood that covered his face just barely rested above his kind eyes. He had a pleasant smile upon his boyish face despite the intense thunder storm that raged behind him.

"Hello. I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, but I was out sailing with my brother when the storm hit." The creaminess of the boy's voice was unexpected and Paige found herself slightly comforted by the melodic sound of his words.

"We sailed to the closest dock, which was yours, and we were wondering if we could take shelter here," he took a moment to look at Bridget with a smile that was meant for melting, "until the rain stops at least." He fluttered his eyelashes subconsciously and added another sweet grin.

"Oh, you're here with your brother?" Bridget inquired curiously.

"Yes. He's just trying the boat to the dock. He'll be here shortly," he answered with a nod.

After a brief pause Bridget turned to look at Paige, then back at the mystery man.

"Could you give us a second?" she asked with a pleasant smile.

"Oh, sure. Of course," answered the boy with the eerily soft voice.

Bridget gently closed the door and turned to face Paige, who was nervously chewing at her dark red nail polish.

"I think we should let them in. He seems nice," Bridget said simply. "And cute."

"Are you out of your mind?" Paige gasped. "We don't even know this guy!"

Bridget looked at her with a raised eyebrow and then glanced back at the door where the yellow-coated boy stood patiently amongst the roaring storm, which looked as if it was getting louder and stronger by the minute. Paige could hear the rain drops hitting the roof with great force, and remarked to herself that it sounded as if someone was galloping atop the house with all their strength.

As strange as it was, the rain soothed her in the panicked state she currently found herself in. Rain had been something she had been exposed to her entire life. It reminded her of home and snuggling up on the couch with her famous hot chocolate surrounded by her family as the sound or droplets hitting the window sounded almost musical in her ears. Paige closed her eyes, and for that small moment, she was back watching old movies with her dad, while mom was sitting above her on the couch braiding her feathery, blonde hair. She could smell the pumpkin candles her mom loved so much. She adored her home and the warm tones that surrounded it. The family room and the kitchen were a deep red, with random burnt orange walls placed at the front and sides of the room. Retro rugs covered the tan tile plates on the floor, with patterns that Paige would stare at for hours and find pictures within the multi-colored shapes.

Family portraits aligned the staircase; the smiling faces a momentary companion as she would climb the stairs at night before bed. Her eyes would fall upon the pictures of her and her parents standing behind the trees, grinning happily at the camera. Paige had especially liked the pictures because they were taken at her favorite park, just a few blocks away from her house. The portraits had been taken in autumn when she was 13 years old. She could still remember the bright colors of the orange and yellow leaves; the thickness of the trunks and branches. There was one photograph in particular that never failed to make Paige smile as she passed. She had been placed in between her mother and father by the photographer. Her dad, always, being the practical joker he was, told her that this was the picture where they would make funny faces at the camera. The photographer then snapped the shot of Paige doing her best silly expression. A couple months later when the pictures arrived, she noticed with surprise and laughter that she had been the only one making a face. Her parents stood behind her, smiling and looking their best as she stood in front of them, tongue sticking out and eyes crossed. The three of them couldn't stop the laughter that erupted upon first viewing the picture. It had been placed as the last portrait on the staircase and remained a fond memory between Paige and her parents.

This had been the home she had grown up in. Traditions and memories had been created here and the people she loved most took comfort inside these walls.

She sighed at the memory, but was quickly shaken out of her delusions as Bridget started to speak.

"Does he really look _that _scary to you? He seems like a normal guy who looks about our age." Bridget stated in her most convincing voice. Paige's expression didn't soften to her words.

"Plus," her tone was getting a bit agitated now, "we can't just leave him out there! Not in this crazy storm. C'mon, I bet his brother is just as cute," she said with begging smile.

"Is that really all you can think about?" Paige shot back trying to think of a way to establish to her flighty best friend that there was absolutely no way she was going to willingly agree to this.

Bridget stepped closer to Paige and put her hands on her shoulders. "Look Paige, we both know that we can't leave him out there; you're too nice to let anyone sit out in the rain when the storm is this bad." Paige looked away and knew that she was right. "I also know that it is wrong to let strangers into your home when the folks are gone and it's late, but the circumstances prove otherwise and you know it."

Paige looked to the floor with discouragement. "I don't know Bridget, what if-"

"No what if's!" Bridget interrupted. "Can you please just trust me on this? This can be a chance for you to meet new and interesting people. I know it sounds lame, but branching out never hurt anyone." She finished confidently.

Paige's eyes shifted to the door and then back at the floor. She studied the patterns lined on the wooden surface and felt genuinely defeated. She knew Bridget wouldn't budge in this argument. Swallowing the fear and reluctance Paige felt within herself, she looked at Bridget.

"Well, it's quite obvious that I won't be able to change your mind, so you might as well let him in before he freezes," she muttered with a long sigh.

Bridget beamed at her and skipped over to the door once again and Paige awaited the loud creak that would follow the giant knob being turned. This sound, however, did not come. Instead, thunder crashed around them, momentarily muting every other sound. She couldn't hear the door gently closing, or the footsteps of the unfamiliar guest entering through the doorway and into the mansion. Paige took this as a bad omen and a nervous feeling shot through her body upon looking at his hauntingly cherubic face.

The three of them waited by the door in silence as the thunder continued to crash against the bleak sky. When the sound began to dwindle and soften, the boy looked at the two with a sweet smile, but something looked a little off about the particular grin. It was too sweet. Why was this guy so happy? He had just been caught in an awful storm for quite some time, but looking at his face, one would think he just arrived home from an amusement park. This boy was giddy, and it made Paige feel unsettled.

The silence continued as each person observed the situation in a different way. Paige felt extremely uncomfortable with a strange man in the house and nervously tugged at her locket that hung loosely around her neck. Bridget was smirking at the new boy, her eyes roaming over his appearance.

He had taken off that awfully bright raincoat and wore a crisp, white polo and black shorts. Paige's interest in fashion always came into view when she met new people. The contrast was a little unflattering, she thought to herself. Her eyes then caught sight of the white gloves he was wearing. They were slightly dirty and wet, and she wondered why he was even wearing them at all. They weren't the type of gloves that one would wear to keep their hands warm. No, these gloves looked like ones a golfer might wear. Paige's forehead creased in confusion and thought it odd and strangely unnecessary that this stranger sported golfing gloves to go sailing.

His hair was hanging low, just passed his eyes and appeared to be a light, honey brown shade under the chandelier's soft light. It was messy and in disarray atop his head. Strands hung loosely and separated themselves among all sides of his face. Paige came to the conclusion that this was most likely from the rain and the hood he was wearing before. She suddenly had the urge to grab her comb and work through his numerous tangles. Her attention then focused on his face. He had dark, thick eyebrows, which were almost joined at the center, and lay just above his small, blue eyes which gleamed in the naïve way a child would smile when amused. They gave him the quality of looking quite childlike and innocent. With a curved jaw line and one dimple that stretched on the right of his face when he smiled, Paige noticed this grin was reappearing every time he met eyes with one of them.

There was a slight pudginess about him, but Paige felt that it only added to his youthful persona. A belly was present beneath the clean, white shirt and pressing ever so slightly against the loose fitting fabric. Paige thought he looked healthy.

The boy took a timid step forward and extended his hand toward Bridget. "I'm Peter. Thank you so much for letting me in your home. It's very kind of you." There was that smile again, Paige noticed. She looked over at Bridget and saw that she was almost melting in his gloved hand. A dreamy smile was plastered on her face and her eyes were soft.

"Well it is very nice to meet you Peter. I'm Bridget, and this is Paige. It's really no problem at all; we couldn't just leave you out there. That wouldn't be very neighborly of us," she added with a wink.

Paige inwardly rolled her eyes and slightly froze as the boy called Peter turned to face her. "Hello," came the smooth voice as he took her hand in his. It was slightly damp, but warm and gentle all the same.

"Hi." Paige could hear her voice crack slightly as she shook Peter's hand with a nervous smile. The contact of their hands was quick as she pulled her hand back and placed both arms across her chest, feeling the familiar rush of awkwardness she always felt when she met someone new. She always thought they were silently judging her which never failed to make her feel self-conscious about almost everything concerning her appearance. This included her posture, where her hands were placed, how her hair looked, and she always found herself constantly pulling the top of her dress up to make sure it was placed just right. When this happened, she always felt ashamed that she cared so much what people thought of her.

Peter seemed to take notice of this and stepped away to take a look at the interior of the house. His gaze circled around the room several times. Those blue eyes almost hidden beneath a shield of hair traced along the railing of the staircase, and seemed interested in the large chandelier which hanged directly above his head.

Bridget, obviously tired of the silence, tried to keep the conversation flowing. This was one of her strong points and one of the reasons she was so well-liked, Paige thought.

"So!" She began, shaking Peter out of his exploration of the mansion. "Are you here with your family on vacation like we are?" Bridget asked in her most innocent voice.

Peter's attention then focused entirely on her as he answered. "Oh no, we're actually staying with old family friends. You wouldn't happen to know the Farber's, would you?" he asked with an anxious edge in his voice.

"Yeah, my parents know them. They haven't been down here the last couple of years so I haven't seen them in awhile. How are they?" Bridget replied with curiosity.

"They are doing very well, I'll tell them that you asked," he added with a smile. "They're such a kind family, allowing my brother and myself to stay there with them. Such hospitality," he remarked with a strange glint in his eye that Paige could only describe as mischievous. "I only hope they aren't worried about us, being out so late and all."

"I wouldn't worry; they probably figured you've taken shelter with someone by now. You can use my phone to call them if you want," Bridget offered as she retrieved her cell phone from her back pocket.

"Oh that's very nice of you, but I don't think that would be necessary," he replied in a polite tone.

"Are you sure? You don't want to call them real quick to tell them where you are?" She questioned again for further measurement.

"No really, I can assure you that trying to contact them would prove to be quite unnecessary," he followed this statement with another one of his reassuring smiles and Bridget let it drop.

"Well, okay then," taking a look at her phone, she closed it and placed it back inside her pocket, "I don't have any service here anyways. Damn storm," she grumbled with slight annoyance at the poor weather.

Paige had been listening intently to their conversation and grew more and more suspicious of their new friend. Why had he shut down the idea of calling the Farber's so suddenly and completely? If it were her, she would call the White's right away to let them know that she wasn't in danger of getting struck by lightning or drowning in the treacherous lake or…

She continued to think of different ways she could come in contact to the danger outside as numerous questions sprouted inside her head about the oddly dressed Peter.

Instead of keeping these questions to herself, she heard herself blurt out the first one that popped into her mind. She apparently wanted answers from this stranger.

"Why were you and your brother out sailing so late?" she asked in a quiet yet determined voice. Her dark green eyes landed on his tiny blue ones. Her arms were still crossed and she felt her back leaning against the staircase as she gazed at him.

"Yes, I was just about to explain," he looked at her as she waited curtly for his explanation. He smiled sheepishly at her cold stare and continued. "We, my brother and I, had been visiting another family just across the lake; do you know the Thompsons?" Bridget nodded, clearly familiar with the family. "Yes, well they are also friends of ours. We stayed at their home for awhile, and then decided to head home before the storm got too bad. That's also why I didn't feel the need to call Mr. and Mrs. Farber. They probably think we're still with the Thompson's, and I didn't want them to be worried about us."

Paige's eyes left his and turned her gaze toward the window to the right of him. She wasn't sure if she was ready to trust his story without asking him more questions.

"How did you even get in here with the gate being locked?" she fired in his direction.

"The dock is located behind the house, not in front of it," he answered quickly. "We stopped at your dock and I walked around to the front of the house, already being within the gate's perimeter," he explained absently.

"Yeah Paige, the backdoor in the kitchen leads to the lake. Peter here was just trying to be a gentleman and knock on the front door so as to not scare us, right Peter?" She asked and turned to smile at him.

"Right," he looked at her, then back at Paige as if to show her that he was genuinely telling the truth.

Paige rested her chin in her hand and stared back at him. She didn't care if she sounded skeptical and suspicious toward this guy. Having no idea who he was gave her the need to make sure that he wasn't some kind of psycho in white golfing gloves.

She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something mistrusting in his smile that made her feel uneasy. She wished that he had never arrived and ruined their night, in her opinion. This was probably quite the opposite for Bridget, on the other hand, who was staring at him with those gaga eyes she gave to handsome boys. He could've said he was here to rob the mansion of all its riches All he would have to do is flash his angelic smile, and she would become hypnotize and let him have whatever he desired.

Paige had to be the rational thinker in the situation. What other choice did she have? Still feeling a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing, she slowly nodded at the boy and gave him a small smile. He grinned back and gave a small sigh.

"Why don't we all go in the kitchen," Bridget offered as a way to ease the tension they all felt and began to slowly lead the way to the next room.

Peter and Paige both stepped to follow behind her and almost collided into one another. He looked at her and smirked. She looked up at him, and his eyes held her anxious gaze. He looked proud, as if he had succeeded in some secret mission, which completely threw Paige. In the short time she had known him, she was accustomed to his face looking innocent and soft. Now, it was replaced with prideful, narrowing eyes and a confident mouth, still smirking at her confused face. He took a step back and held out his right hand which motioned for her to go before him. She stole one last glance at him and followed quickly behind Bridget as Peter followed silently behind her.

_

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__Author's Notes:_

It is so refreshing to finally be writing again. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review.

Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Notes:_

I'm not going to give you excuses for not updating. I just hope you enjoy this chapter.

Listen to Sugar Town by Nancy Sinatra. It contributes to the creepy feel of this scene.

Thanks for reviewing!

_Disclaimer: _Everything from the original movie belongs to Michael Haneke.

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Chapter 4

No one spoke for what felt like an eternity. Paige knew that she wouldn't be the one to break the silence. She didn't even want this guy in the same room as her. Pleasant conversation with the strange boy was not something she would volunteer herself for.

She currently had her back towards the microwave, facing away from Bridget and Peter, who were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. Paige was leaning on the black marble counter watching the green mug spin slowly around, secretly wishing that time would go by faster so he would leave. She tried to remind herself that if he had a devious plan to harm them, he would have done it already. He wouldn't waste his time trying to get in their good graces if his intentions were questionable. At least, that's what she'd hoped. She bit her lip and drew her gaze away from her heating hot chocolate. She began to drum her fingers on the countertop along to the sound of the rain pattering on the roof. The thunder had calmed for the most part, but the rain was still coming down with intense power. The music coming from the living room had continued to play since before Peter's arrival. Nancy Sinatra echoed from the stereo into the silent kitchen, adding to the eerie setting with her smooth melodies.

Paige let her eyes flutter closed as she focused on the song.

_I got some troubles but they won't last  
I'm gonna lay right down here in the grass._

Humming to herself, Paige tried to remain optimistic. She took comfort in the familiar song and listened to the lyrics instead of dwelling on the awkward silence that was filling the room.

_And pretty soon all my troubles will pass  
'cause I'm in shoo-shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo-shoo  
Shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo Sugar Town._

Her back still facing away from the other two, she could hear Bridget give out an exasperated sigh before making another attempt at small talk with the boy sitting across from her.

"So," she began with a desperate edge in her voice, "are you and your brother from around here?" The question had been so simple and yet Paige found herself turning back to hear the boy's answer.

"Not really," he replied in a quiet voice, "I'd say about an hour away. We live close to the Farver's. That's how we know them. My parents are close friends with them. They were kind enough to invite us to their vacation home because they know how much we love to golf."

"Oh that's right!" Bridget quickly replied. "The tournament was today," she seemed incredibly relieved to finally be talking about something.

"Well it was _supposed _to be today, but I'm afraid the rain prevented the tournament from happening," Peter said with a frown and a disappointed look in his eye.

"Aw, what a drag," she sighed, trying to join in on his disappointment. "I can only imagine how that put a damper on your entire visit here."

"It's not all bad," he replied looking up at her with a slight grin. "My brother and I have other forms of entertainment," his smile grew, "like sailing," he made sure to add quickly.

Paige quirked an eyebrow at him from behind the counter top and fiddled with her locket that hung from her neck out of habit.

"You and your brother seem pretty close," Paige stated to him from where she was standing, trying her best to sound friendly.

"Yes, well he's only a year older than me so we grew up around the same time," he explained to her as he placed his folded hands on the table. "We also have the same interests so it's easy for us to get along."

Paige only looked at him and nodded twice before turning around again to retrieve her scalding hot chocolate from the beeping microwave.

"Paige and I are both only children so we're almost like sisters," Bridget informed him with a smile, "even though we're polar opposites of each other," she added with a laugh.

"How so?" Peter asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity.

"Well for starters our personalities couldn't be more different. I'm more of an outgoing gal while Paige is definitely on the quieter side. She's also the biggest worrywart I know."

Paige sipped carefully at her hot chocolate and listened to what Bridget was telling this stranger. She went on to tell him how different their style was from the other. Bridget was more of a jeans, t-shirt, and flip-flops kind of girl, while Paige planned out her daily outfit every night before she went to bed to make sure it was just right. Bridget even went as far as to call her a "fashion junky." She also explained how she would rather make music on the piano while Paige loved to have it blasting from her headphones at maximum volume.

"But don't be fooled!" she went on to tell him. "She may be shy, but she doesn't take anyone's crap. She's got a sarcastic, bratty side to her. Isn't that right, Paige?" She called out over her shoulder.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Paige half-smiled, slightly uncomfortable with being the topic of conversation.

Paige figured that it probably looked odd that she was standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen listening to their conversation, so she begrudgingly made her way over to where they were seated at the table. She decided that her best bet was to sit at the head of the table so she wouldn't have to sit next to Peter or have to feel his eyes on her if she sat next to Bridget.

She couldn't avoid his eyes for long, for when she timidly walked over to them and quickly sat down, she could feel him searching her face with that boyish gaze. She could see from the corner of her eye that he had finally turned his attention back to Bridget, and had asked her about her piano playing. Paige visibly relaxed and tried to keep her hands from shaking by wrapping them around the warm mug. Her thoughts then went back to that strange moment she had shared with Peter before walking into the kitchen. She couldn't fathom what was going on in his mind when he had looked at her with that strange gleam in his eye. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. Paige knew Bridget was right about her being a worrywart. She just couldn't help it. In strange situations like the one she was currently in, Paige always found herself getting worked up and drawing conclusions in her mind that would always fill her with anxiety. When he had looked at her, it was as if he knew exactly what she was thinking; like he knew that she was suspicious of him. That moment in the hallway wasn't an attempt to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about. It was Peter challenging her to do something about it. He knew from the moment they met that she was nervous and shy; he knew that she would never be able to keep him out of the house.

Paige felt the chills travel down her spine and, for the second time that night, her thoughts were interrupted with a loud knock at the door. She nearly jumped out of her chair with surprise, spilling her hot chocolate all over the tabletop. She could barely process what was going on before Bridget hopped out of her seat and skipped over to the side door a few feet away, with Peter following dangerously close behind her.

Hiding behind the counter once more, Paige walked to the cupboard to retrieve paper towels to clean up her mess. She could hear an unfamiliar voice from the living room growing closer and closer. She tried to keep her hands from shaking and her breathing normal. There was a part of her that was filled with anticipation, but also a part that didn't want to face a new stranger she knew nothing about. She held her breath and heard the footsteps as they entered the kitchen. Paige braced herself and prepared to turn around to face Peter's mysterious older brother.

Her eyes fell upon a figure dress entirely in white. Towering over Bridget and several inches taller than Peter, Paige could clearly see his smirking face above the other two who were standing in front of him. Trying not to stare too long, she took a short glance his way and noticed the same hideously bright raincoat Peter had been wearing folded neatly under his right arm. _Matching raincoats, how sweet, _Paige thought to herself sarcastically.

"Paige," Bridget called to her with a sweet grin, "this is Paul."

Paige looked up as the new boy approached her, reaching his hand out to make her acquaintance. She watched him as he strolled over to her safe place behind the counter with his hand waiting to shake her own. She could feel her hand leaving the paper towels and gently placing it in his large, glove-covered one. He gave her two firm shakes before releasing her hand and looking up at her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he murmured politely.

"Same here," was all she could squeak out, trying to save herself from the embarrassment of fumbling over her words if she had attempted to say anything more.

Paige took this chance to actually look at him. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved collared shirt with white shorts. His clothes weren't perfectly dry, but they weren't soaking either. His gloves were filthy and wet and Paige couldn't think of a reason why he would keep them on when they seemed so dirty and unnecessary. She then began to study his face. His eyes were like globes, perfectly round with blue-green irises placed perfectly in the center with semi-dark circles shading the space directly underneath them. They were wide with unexplained joy and Paige stared intently into them to try and understand what it was he was so happy about. Her eyes traveled past his nose and focused on his lips, which were smirking back at her. Even when they were placed in a slight smile, they were still very full and Paige deemed them to look almost pouty. A round chin and jaw-line led up to blonde hair that was dark at the roots, then became into a more golden tone. It was neatly parted on the side and combed behind his right ear and casually hanging down next to his eye on the left. It was slightly messy but Paige then thought back to the rainstorm he had just been in the middle of. She supposed he was handsome.

Her eyes then shifted to Peter, then back to Paul. They both appeared young and boyish, but still very different. Peter's features were soft and small, where Paul's were more large and pronounced. The only factor that would reassure Paige that they were in fact brothers, was their hair color. Other than that, they did not look related. She then ended her train of thought and reminded herself to stop over-thinking everything. With a shake of her head she looked down and focused her concentration on the paper towels in front of her.

"Again, sorry for taking so long. It was so dark and the rain was coming down in buckets. I had a hard time finding the side-door," he shrugged while giving Bridget a sheepish grin. "I really can't thank you enough for opening your doors to my brother and me. It was very gracious of you," he said and turned his attention back to Paige, "both of you."

"Oh, it was no problem at all, really," Bridget replied and motioned to Paige. "Paige and I were delighted to have some company during this awful storm."

Paul smiled and nodded as he turned from Paige to gaze around the room. He took a few steps while craning his neck to view everything around him. His eyes then landed on the table by his side and glared at the spilled hot chocolate spreading all over the counter and dripping over the sides.

"Aw Tubby, don't tell me you already made a mess when you only just got here," he turned to glare at Peter with disgust.

Right as Peter opened his mouth to defend himself, his "older brother" quickly interrupted him, "I leave you alone for five minutes and you go and make a mess. You know how I hate when you do that," his face looked menacing as he continued to glower at Peter.

"He didn't spill the drink," Paige declared quickly, "I did."

Paul tore his eyes from Peter to stare at her with a guilty expression.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize," he said softly with a regretful smile. He looked to the floor then back at her, his face turned from a smile to a grave expression, "It's easier when Tubby doesn't make mistakes."

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There you have it. Please review and tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Notes: _Thank you all for the kind reviews. It's great knowing you guys are liking it so far. I hope you enjoy this one!

_Disclaimer:_ I own Paige and Bridget. That's pretty much it.

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Chapter 5

Paige was incredibly taken aback by Paul's comment. _What did he mean? What was easier?_ She speculated he was referring to Peter when he used the nickname, Tubby. She tore her eyes from his haunting face and furrowed her brow as she looked over at Bridget. Her usually smiling face was gone, and a look of confusion had taken its place. She looked completely at a loss for words, which was rare, and her head was tilted slightly to one side. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth to say something, only to shut it again in apprehension. Paige noticed her doing this several times more and decided to save her friend from having to question the young man's statement.

"What?" The question lingered in the room as Paul ignored her inquiry.

"Tubby, help her clean this up. We might need the table later," he flicked his wrist and motioned with his finger the spilt hot chocolate that covered the table and had left a large, growing puddle on the floor beneath it.

Peter left his place beside Bridget and rushed over to where Paige stood, dumbfounded behind the counter. He gently took the roll of paper towels from her stiff hands and tore off a couple squares. Snapping out of her confused daze, Paige shook her head and carefully trailed behind him to mop up her accidental spill with the thin sheets of paper. She decided to ignore her uneasiness towards Paul especially and to keep her distance until the rain stopped and they were forced to leave. This guy majorly gave her the creeps and she now realized where Peter must have gotten his bizarre behavior from. The younger, more delicate brother was indeed strange, but certainly not as odd as his older sibling, who he most undoubtedly looked up to. As she knelt to wipe up the mess, she couldn't help but think how personable, yet so eerily weird Paul was. The things he was saying made no sense at all. What in God's name would we _need _this particular table for? It was like he was planning something and the setting had to be perfect, along with the objects in it. She most decidedly did not want to be an object in this strange duo's game.

Paul watched the two as they sopped up the liquid and turned his head sideways to look at Bridget. "You and your family have a very beautiful home, Bridget. I'd hate to think of my brother soiling its perfection, so you can imagine why I had to chastise him. It didn't occur to me that Paige here is equally as clumsy as he is."

"Th-thank you," she stuttered while managing to keep her tone light, "we love it here and yeah, Paige can be somewhat clumsy at times." Bridget tried to hide the bewildered edge in her voice, and was failing. It was easy for Paige to see that her best friend was starting to regret letting these two handsome, yet peculiar boys into her house alone at night.

The air was thick as Paige stood up to throw away the now soaking paper towels, awkwardly shuffling by Paul on her way to the trashcan. Being this close to him, Paige realized how tall he really was. He towered over her with his broad shoulders, clothed in blinding white material all the way down to his fingertips, meeting her gaze. He smirked at her as she passed but said nothing. She just wished he would leave.

Instead of taking sanctuary behind the counter again, she walked over to Bridget who appeared to be having an internal panic attack. Paige felt even more unsettled than she already was to see her usually fearless, confident best friend look as anxious as she did. Taking a deep breath she tried to keep a handle on the situation. Bridget had always controlled the situations that she knew would fill Paige with uncontrollable nerves. She had to do the same for her this time.

The mix CD in the stereo had ended and the silence was deafening. Paige could see Paul slowly lean his head down to Peter and discreetly whisper something to the younger boy. Peter's delicate features lit up and his smirking lips turned into a full smile. He turned and muttered a slightly inaudible statement into Paul's waiting ear. Paige leaned forward slightly to try and catch their silent conversation but she could only make out one phrase, "Thank God there's two of them."

Paige instantly froze and could feel her face clam up at the faint sound of his words_. Why does it matter that there's two of us? Are they insinuating they get to choose which one they like better if they decide to have a go at us later?_ Paige didn't like for one moment where her thoughts were taking her and she just wanted to lock herself in the bathroom until they left. But she couldn't do that. She couldn't leave Bridget if they decided to do something. Her mind was racing and she concluded that if something did in fact happen, she would be prepared.

She concocted a swift plan in her head and looked over at Bridget. "Do you want to sit?" she questioned her friend who was completely oblivious to what the boys were whispering about. She nodded with a small smile and they headed over to the table once more. Paige could feel an unfamiliar feeling take over her. She wasn't used to taking charge of situations, especially ones that made her incredibly nervous. Paige then realized that she had never been placed in such circumstances that would threaten Bridget's wellbeing and for that reason, she would ignore her urge to run to keep her friend safe. She shot a look over at Bridget before she pulled her chair out to sit down and silently begged her to keep it together for the time being. If she turned quiet and unsettled now, this could go from bad to worse very quickly. Bridget had to act normal and friendly like she was before Paul got there, or else they would know something was up.

Bridget caught Paige's stare and apparently got the message as she plastered a fake smile and focused her attention on the boys. "Do you guys want to come sit? Paige and I had been playing cards before you got here. We could play a game?"

Paul's eyes lit up as he looked at Peter with a giddy expression. "Usually it's us who always have to come up with the games! Sure, we'd love to play, isn't that right Tom?" his smile grew as he gave Peter a playful slap in the gut. They walked around to sit opposite the girls at the table with matching cheerful looks on their faces.

"Right," Peter replied with his quiet, yet smooth, voice. His face was just was eager as Paul's.

_Are they insane? What the hell are they talking about? Who is Tom? _Paige was baffled by the boys' excitement as they swiftly pushed their own chairs out to plop into them.

There the four of them sat; looking at each other with a mixture of exasperation, coming from the girls, and delight, coming from the boys. Paige was facing Paul with her back facing away from the kitchen. Bridget's eyes then shifted down as she began to shuffle to cards.

"Well did you have any games in mind?" She asked them in a friendly tone as she continued to reorder the deck.

"Oh, we have quite a few games we'd like to play." Paul inclined towards her with a lingering smile.

Bridget tried not to look visibly shaken and focused even harder on the playing cards in front of her. "Well, what are they?" She asked with a quick glance in his direction.

In the short pause when Paul was about to reply, he was interrupted by a loud growling coming from Peter's stomach.

"Jesus Tubby, was that you?" he demanded, cocking his head to glare at him with aggravation. "Do you know how embarrassing it is for me to be seen with you when all you can think about is food? I thought that was thunder from outside but it was just your stomach; it's revolting."

Peter looked down with shame but also anger, "I do not only think about food and I haven't eaten since breakfast so stop pestering me about my weight."

Paul snorted and shook his head and before he could continue his disgusted rant, Paige jumped at the opportunity to set her plain in motion.

"I can make you something to eat if you're hungry. I think we brought ingredients for a sandwich if you're interested," she offered as casually as she could muster while looking at boy who was self-consciously staring down at his pudgy abdomen. He looked up at her and his expression immediately softened at her words.

"Only if it's not too much trouble," he replied politely as Paige slowly rose from her chair and walked into the kitchen.

"It's no trouble," she called over her shoulder as she began to gather certain items from the pantry. _Anything to get me farther away from you and your crazy brother, _Paige thought to herself. Bridget was glaring at her from the table, glaring daggers at her for leaving her alone with the bizarre pair. Paige gave her a reassuring smile as she set a glass plate on the counter before her. For her plan to work, Bridget would have to tolerate being alone with them just for a little while.

Paul let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head at Peter in annoyance. Paige knew she had the upper-hand with the boys' backs facing her so they wouldn't be able to detect what she was up to. She just had to be quiet and she was home free.

She began normally preparing the sandwich, trying to seem as relaxed as possible. She removed the bread from its bag and lathered it with mustard and mayonnaise on the other piece. She cut the lettuce and tomato and placed them on the slices of bread, her hands slowly started to tremble. Paige tried to steady them as she began to re-evaluate whether this genius plan of hers was going to work or not. If one of the boys turned their heads back at her, she would get caught for sure, and who knew how dangerous they were? She definitely didn't intend on finding out.

Opening the package of roast beef, Paige told herself that she had to do this. If something happened to her, or worse, Bridget, she needed to be equipped with a weapon, just in case. A dark feeling inside her told her that it very well could come to that, but she couldn't imagine it escalating to that level of danger. So one of the guys said a few things that didn't make sense? It's not something to make a huge fuss over. But Paige couldn't place the sense of dread that washed over her as she stared at the table of three sitting before her. The rain had shown no signs of stopping and they weren't leaving anytime soon. Yes, Paige had to do this.

She quickly placed the meat on each slice of bread and placed one on top of the other. She took a deep breath and opened the drawer that contained the knives. She grabbed an average-sized blade and began to saw the sandwich in half. She noticed that the table and its occupants were quieter than she would have preferred. Paul was still reprimanding Peter about his weight in a hushed tone as Peter defended himself with a number of excuses while Bridget just sat silently still shuffling the cards.

"How's it going back there," Paul called to Paige who stood frozen in place while he studied her expression with a quizzical gaze.

"Fine," was all she managed to say back to him as she felt the knife slip through her fingers and collide with the floor with a small clang.

Seeing this as her chance, she quickly knelt down to retrieve it. Before she could slip it into the side of her strapless dress under her left arm, she felt her body being flung to the ground and the knife fly out her hand.  
"Oh no you don't," she looked up to see Paul glaring down at her with a menacing look in his eye. He had walked over to her to see what she had dropped only to find her slipping a blade in her dress. His foot connected painfully with her right shoulder, sending her to the floor and the knife several feet away.

She let out a yelp of pure fright and tried to scramble away from him as he lunged toward her and grabbed her by the wrists.

"It's too early for that," he brought her face up to his own only to backhand her with immense force. She flew back again with her head crunching against the hardwood floor. Paige could feel the warm sensation of blood flowing freely from her lip and her vision start to get cloudy. With her back on the ground and her ears ringing, she could faintly hear Bridget screaming and chairs being hurled to the floor. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, the image of Paul's face came into view, his expression filled with rage and disappointment.

"No one likes a cheater Paige."

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I hope you're satisfied with this quick update and I look forward to hearing what you all think.

Reviews are always greatly appreciated!


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